FC Barcelona could definitively say goodbye to its chances of signing Florian Wirtz much sooner than expected. Manchester City could soon go for the player from Pulheim, who has scored 10 goals and provided 5 assists in 23 matches this season. Although the '10' has a contract until 2028, Bayer Leverkusen is prepared to let him go if, ultimately, an offer that meets their financial aspirations arrives.
According to 'The Times', the Manchester team has its checkbook ready to blow up the winter market with at least three 'top' signings to help the team emerge from the worst crisis since the arrival of the Santpedor native to the 'sky blue' bench. The coaching staff aims to incorporate a pivot, an attacking midfielder, and a winger, without ruling out the possibility of going for another full-back.
In attack, Guardiola's favorite is Wirtz, one of Deco's weaknesses for the upcoming summer market. The Leverkusen 'star' could leave for a figure close to 120 million euros to form a lethal attacking trio alongside Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland, which would mean that Barça would part ways with one of the players who has publicly expressed his desire to wear the blue and garnet jersey.
Guardiola doesn't want to waste any more time reinforcing his squad
For the midfield, Pep has his eyes on Martín Zubimendi and Bruno Guimarães. The Real Sociedad player was one of Xavi Hernández's impossible wishes during his time at the Barcelona bench, while the Portuguese has carried Newcastle's midfield in recent months, becoming one of the most sought-after players in his position. For the 'cityzen' coach, this signing is key, as the absence of Rodri Hernández led to the free fall of his team.
The City has only won one of its last ten matches in the Premier and Champions, leaving a very poor image in both competitions. In the league, Liverpool took advantage of the significant drop of the reigning champion to pull away by eight points, while in Europe the team has fallen to 22nd place, five points from the direct qualification zone for the Round of 16 and with only one point more than their immediate pursuers in the lower part of the table, outside the 'playoff' spots, Paris Saint-Germain and Stuttgart.
Hence, the 'sky blue' management is willing to emulate what Chelsea has done in recent years, making high expenditures on reinforcements while the season is ongoing. Guardiola himself recently admitted that, if it were up to him, he would approve squads of 40 or 50 players to deal with the injury plague resulting from the tight European calendar. "Perhaps such large squads are needed. In the end, the calendar is the problem. The problem is not the physios, the doctors, or the players," he said at the press conference before the Manchester derby.